MEMORIES

Siblings Breakout

A harp owned by Theo Landon, wife of former Gov. Alf Landon, was the only musical instrument not damaged when the tornado demolished Washburn University’s MacVicar Chapel. James Van Slyke, university band director, stored the harp temporarily in his basement at 1317 S.W. College. Landon loaned the harp for use by the Washburn music department and the Topeka Civic Symphony. Also saved from the chapel was the civic symphony’s music library.

The Topeka Daily Capital

Myth busted

Prior to the Topeka tornado, the assumption was the safest location during a tornado was the southwest corner of a basement. But Joseph Eagleman, a professor at the University of Kansas, proved the notion wrong based on a survey of destroyed properties after the Topeka disaster. His study in Topeka showed the north side of homes was the safest location, both on the first floor and in the basement, while the southwest corner was unsafe in 75 percent of the damaged homes. His findings were confirmed when he repeated the study after the Lubbock, Texas, tornado of May 11, 1970.